


Out of the Darkness

by Geminia (Geminia905)



Category: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-06-18
Updated: 1999-06-18
Packaged: 2018-01-09 12:30:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1146007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geminia905/pseuds/Geminia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A rewrite of the ending of the 5th season episode 'Redemption'. The author being a proud member of Chorus Denial :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of the Darkness

The darkness was suffocating. In the distance he could hear Iolaus' faint cries.

"Hercules! Where are you? He's too strong!"

"Iolaus, I'm here!" his voice echoed all around him.

Suddenly there was a roar and he turned to find a horrendous creature advancing toward him. To call it ugly would be an understatement. Its jaws opened wide and it had powerful pincers, like some strange insect. It smelled like rotting flesh.

"You took something that didn't belong to you, Dahok. I'm here to repossess."

The creature struck out quickly. Hercules felt a burning pain in his left shoulder and then suddenly found himself tossed backwards. He landed not far from a ledge jutting out over what appeared to be a pit of fire.

He quickly got to his feet, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, and stood at the precipice. The monster was coming at him. . .fast. He would have to time this right.

Dahok was going so fast that when Hercules suddenly ducked and rolled to the edge of the cliff he had no way to stop in time to catch him. The demigod quickly brought his feet around, catching the creature on the lower part of his back. He quickly shoved with all his might and used the monster's own momentum to help send him over the abyss.

He watched, smiling, as Dahok was consumed by the flames. Suddenly in the distance he heard a scream that almost stopped his heart.

"HERCULEEEEEEES!! HELP ME!!"

"IOLAUS!!"

He started to move in the direction of the scream, but suddenly everything was silent.

"NO!!!!"

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light as if two stars had collided. Then his world went dark once more.

* * *

"Hercules?" the voice repeated.

He awoke to find himself in Morrigan's arms and Nebula looking down at him; concern on both their faces.

"Are you alright?"

"I think so. What hap–?" He looked around, suddenly panicked. "Iolaus! Something happened to him." Then he caught sight of the empty altar. "Where's the body?"

"We don't know. Everything went quiet suddenly. Ares got his powers back and left then, as we turned back toward the altar, there was a bright flash of light. Iolaus' body was gone and you were here." Nebula told him as she helped him to his feet. "We assumed you had beaten Dahok."

"Yeah, I beat him." Hercules acknowledged bitterly. "He's dead and I still lost Iolaus." Tears coursed down his face as he remembered Iolaus' terrified screams. "I don't even know where his soul--" He went to wipe the tears away and suddenly realized that his shoulder was no longer wounded. There was no blood on his shirt. "What–?" He was interrupted by Morrigan's hand on his arm, shaking it insistently.

"Hercules. Over there." She nodded toward the shadows along the far wall.

Although it was hard to get a good look; there was no way to mistake who the figure crouching in the shadows, knees drawn up and head down, was. Those golden curls shone even in the faintest light.

"Iolaus," the demigod breathed.

* * *

Hercules moved slowly toward the small alcove where his friend was sitting. He hardly breathed for fear that this was an illusion and the faintest breeze would carry Iolaus from him once more.

When he was within a couple feet he could see plainly the rise and fall of his friend's chest. He was definitely alive. If only he could be sure he was real.

"Stay away from me!"

The voice, though full of terror, was the sweetest sound he'd heard.

"Iolaus. . ."

"Get back!" He looked up finally, his eyes full of the same fear that rang in his voice. "You got what you wanted so leave me alone!"

"Iolaus. It's me. Hercules," the demigod said soothingly. "Dahok's gone. Your free."

Iolaus looked around him, eyeing the temple suspiciously.

"This is just another trick."

"No. It's no trick." Hercules crouched down in front of his distraught friend. "I promise you. You're back in Greece, Dahok is gone, and it really is me. I am Hercules and I won't let anything else happen to you."

"Herc? It's really you?" There was still doubt in his eyes, but there was hope in the words.

"Yes. It's really me. I've missed you, my friend." Hercules held out a hand, hoping Iolaus would take it.

The hunter looked at the hand offered in friendship, but kept seeing the same hand as Dahok had held it to take his soul. He was afraid to reach forward, but a look at the loving blue eyes watching him made his mind up for him.

Hercules could see the inner turmoil as his friend regarded his outstretched hand. He knew Iolaus had no way of knowing this was not another trick. His heart sang when the small hand slowly reached out to take his. He squeezed the hand reassuringly and smiled warmly.

Iolaus looked first at their joined hands, then glanced around the temple, then looked back up at Hercules. As soon as he was sure nothing had changed, and that he was not going back to that other place, he allowed a small smile to cross his face.

That smile was the most beautiful thing Hercules had ever seen. He gently pulled the hunter into his arms and hugged him tightly to his heart.

"I thought I'd lost you forever," he murmured softly, a tear streaking its way down his cheek.

He felt a dampness against his chest and Iolaus shoulders began to shake as he was wracked with violent sobs.

Hercules held his friend tight and rocked him gently as he cried. There was a lot of healing to do.

He knew it would take time.

* * *

"Hercules?"

The demigod looked up at Jason, surprised to see him there already. Then he saw that the sun had completely set and it was now dark. How long had it been since he'd sent Nebula and Morrigan to find his friend?

"Hi, Jason." He looked back down at Iolaus who was now lying limp in his arms, having given in to exhaustion some time earlier. He absently brushed a stray golden lock from the hunter's forehead. He still couldn't believe he had him back.

"Hercules, let's get out of here. Everything seems to be returning to normal out there. I think it's safe for us to stay at the inn overnight."

Hercules looked up at the older man and nodded. It would do all of them good, but he especially wanted to get Iolaus somewhere comfortable.

"Let's go," he agreed.

The demigod didn't have the heart to wake his friend so he scooped him up in his arms as he would a child.

They left the dreary old temple and headed out into the dark night.

* * *

Jason was right. The influence Dahok had held over the people appeared to have died with him. They had no trouble getting rooms at the inn. In fact, the innkeeper seemed determined to make up for the treatment they had received from the locals.

The sight of their ‘God of Light' sleeping in the demigod's arms, obviously mortal once more, was an especially sobering experience.

Hercules noticed the looks from those around them, but was too tired to bother explaining that this was the _real_ Iolaus and their ‘god' had been an imposter from the start.

He carried the hunter into their room, placed him gently on one bed, then collapsed on the other and immediately fell into an exhausted slumber.

* * *

Light filtering through the window the next morning roused him slightly, but a terrified shriek and a clambering on the other side of the room brought him fully awake.

"Iolaus?"

He looked around the room and found his friend cowering in a corner of the room that was still deep in shadows. He was sitting in the same position as they'd found him the evening before. . .arms wrapped around his knees, head bowed. He was rocking slightly.

"Iolaus?" Hercules repeated softly, moving toward him.

"Stay away!" the hunter said fearfully. He was trying to press closer to the wall.

"Iolaus. It's me. It's Herc. Dahok's gone." He was talking in a slow soothing manner and like the night before, he stopped a couple feet away and knelt before his distraught friend. "Remember?"

"Herc?" Iolaus finally looked up at him. "I thought--"

"I know." Hercules held his hand out in entreaty as he added reassuringly, "It's me."

Iolaus started to take the proffered hand, but a stray shaft of light from the breaking day cut between them at that instant.

"No!! Keep it away!!" He flew back to the safety of the shadows.

"What?" Hercules was completely confused by the sudden reaction.

"The light!" the terror in his voice was palpable. "Keep it away!!"

Hercules looked from his friend to the light shining through the window.

"Gods, what did he do to you?"

In that instance Hercules realized he had no idea of the depths to which Dahok had tortured his friend's soul.

* * *

_Hercules wanted him to take his hand. No, it wasn't Hercules. It was Dahok. Wasn't it?_

_Everything was so confusing. It looked and sounded like Hercules, but he was sure it wasn't. He/It was practically shouting at him, urging him to take his hand._

_If he took his hand he could make things better. Isn't that what he cared most about? So why did he hesitate?_

_He couldn't think straight. Everything seemed to have sped up. Visions of the good he could do were surrounding him and Hercules' voice was interrupting his thoughts._

_‘_ Herc, stop shouting. _'_

_"Take it!"_

_And he did. After all Herc would never lead him astray._

_But as soon as he took the hand he knew it wasn't Hercules. Unfortunately it was too late._

_He was alone again. In the darkest and most desolate place he'd ever been._

__

* * *

__

_There was no concept of time in that place. He had no way of knowing if he'd been there a day or a year, but it felt like forever._

_Of course he wasn't alone. Dahok was there, in one form or another, always ready with another torment._

_This time, however, was a new torture in a seemingly benign form._

_In the midst of the all consuming darkness, which had become so familiar, suddenly sliced a bright shaft of light._

_It was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. He immediately moved forward, eager to be touched by the light again. He missed it so._

_He placed his hand into the light, then jumped back ,screaming. The light had burned him. He looked at his hand in shock._

_"I'm a part of you now and you are a part of me. The light is now your enemy. It will bring you nothing but pain."_

_From then on it seemed that no matter where he was in this void a shaft of light would burst through and attempt to catch him in its beam. Always he would try to hide from it and always he would hear Dahok's voice._

_"The light is now your enemy. Darkness is your only refuge."_

_And always he would curl up as far from the light as possible and weep._

* * *

Hercules looked at his friend through sympathetic eyes. Iolaus had practically curled himself into a ball, his shoulders shaking as he was wracked with sobs even more violent than the night before.

The demigod could hold back no longer. He moved forward and pulled the smaller man into his arms, letting him weep against his shoulder.

"Shh. It's all right. Nothing's going to hurt you anymore," he murmured soothingly.

The sobs gradually ceased and Iolaus pulled away to look up into Hercules' eyes.

"I'm sorry, Herc."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Iolaus. You've been through so much lately. . ." He stopped suddenly at the thought. "Tell me about the light, Iolaus."

Iolaus took a shaky breath then hesitantly told his friend about the shaft of light that had been his tormentor for so long.

"Dahok said that, since I'd given myself to him, the light would always be my enemy." He looked Hercules directly in the eye. "And I realized I deserved it. Every time that light found me it was like it was punishing me for betraying you."

"Iolaus--"

"I cannot believe I did that," his voice dripped with self loathing. "I gave myself to that evil– I don't know how you can even stand being in the same room with me! After I betray–"

"Iolaus! Stop it!" Hercules took hold of his friend's shoulders. "You never betrayed me or anyone else. Dahok tricked you. He showed me what happened."

"You saw–?" His cerulean eyes shone with pain and humiliation.

"I saw my friend being manipulated, confused, and completely victimized." Hercules told him firmly. "Dahok thought he would make me believe you gave yourself to him willingly. All he did was prove that you were completely innocent. That was the whole issue all along, Iolaus. He was holding an _innocent_ soul." He could see hope and doubt warring in his friends eyes. "Tell me this, my friend, who's hand did you reach for? Dahok's or mine?"

"I don't know. I knew it was Dahok. I kept telling myself that!" The hunter's voice was rising with his frustration and he dropped his gaze. "But then everything seemed to speed up. I could see all the things I could do for people and then you...I mean Dahok was yelling...I couldn't think. I just knew you'd never lead me down the wrong path. . ." His voice trailed off. He risked a glance up at Hercules and found him smiling at him with a strange look on his face. "What?!"

There was so much of the old Iolaus in that retort that the demigod had to fight to keep from laughing out loud.

"Iolaus. You just answered my question. You knew _I'd_ never lead you down the wrong path. You reached out to _me_. Even the tricks he used. . .he showed you ways you could help others. Where's the betrayal, Iolaus?" He glanced back over his shoulder, then stood and stepped back a few steps until he was standing in a shaft of sunlight. He held his hand out to his friend. "Come on, Iolaus. You stepped into the darkness because of your faith in me. . ." His voice broke on the last couple words, but he quickly shook off his guilt. It could be dealt with later. Right now he had to help Iolaus. "Now let me lead you back into the light."

* * *

Iolaus looked at the proffered hand, but hesitated. He trusted Hercules and wanted more than anything to show his trust, but the light had hurt so much before. How could he be sure it wouldn't hurt him again.

"Iolaus. I know you're afraid. I understand why. Dahok feared the light; he knew it was the only thing that could defeat him. And he feared that you'd be strong enough to regain control and force him into it; so he had to make you fear the light as well. Do you understand, Iolaus? He was afraid. . .of _you_. Please, don't let him win now," Hercules begged him. "Trust me."

Iolaus looked at his friend's pleading eyes. He'd always trusted Hercules, even in death. How could he not do the same now? He stood slowly, took a deep, shaky breath, and reached out for his friend's hand. He couldn't help cringing in expectation of pain as Hercules took his hand and pulled him gently into the rays of sunlight.

* * *

Hercules watched as his friend realized that he was now standing in the light and it was a torment no longer. A look of such innocent wonder and excitement crossed Iolaus' beautiful face that he reminded the demigod of a child discovering the world for the first time.

"Thanks, Herc. . .for everything." The smile on his face put the sun to shame.

Hercules pulled him in for a hug, then released him and went to sit on the bed. He couldn't help smiling as Iolaus remained standing in the light, reveling in its warmth. From where Hercules sat it seemed as if light was radiating from the hunter as well.

Both men were aware that there was a lot more healing that needed to be done. Iolaus had stepped out of the darkness, but the true light was still off in the distance. . .for both of them.

The End


End file.
